Conned in Canada

Kiddo · Post by **Kiddo** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 7:40 am

Hello All,

I've been observing messages for a little while and realize how much there is to learn. I'm fed up with my DME. Also, doctor - saw one about four years ago for three minutes, handed a script, told DME location and bye bye. No follow up, no explanations. Are there any support groups in central Ontario Canada?

Kiddo

SelfSeeker · Post by **SelfSeeker** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 8:01 am

Hi Kiddo.

From what I have learned it is up to you to do the follow ups etc.

If you are in Ont. Did the DMV get notified of your sleep apnea?

The first thing that popped to mind was to contact the Lung Association of Canada, they may have local Apnea support groups. I know they set up Apnea public awareness events.

This forum is a great support group and you do not need to drive anywhere when tired.

Start with reading what is by the yellow light bulb.

cpaptalk-articles.php

jskinner · Post by **jskinner** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 5:40 pm

Kiddo wrote: Are there any support groups in central Ontario Canada?

None that I am aware of. This site is the best support I have found my far.
-James

Limestone · Post by **Limestone** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 6:54 pm

Hi Kiddo.

After some searching I have found a great sleep doc,dme and sleep lab.I am midway between Ottawa and Toronto along the 401.If this is close enough to help you out PM me and I'll pass along the info.

sharon1965 · Post by **sharon1965** » Thu Apr 26, 2007 8:05 pm

i'm in ontario...if the dmv was notified about my apnea, would i have received some kind of notification? there was a thread about this a while back and i think we came to the conclusion that it is up to the doc's discretion...my best friend is a cop, i'll get her to check the highway traffic act...

Bella · Post by **Bella** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 5:30 am

sharon1965 wrote:i'm in ontario...if the dmv was notified about my apnea, would i have received some kind of notification? there was a thread about this a while back and i think we came to the conclusion that it is up to the doc's discretion...my best friend is a cop, i'll get her to check the highway traffic act...

Sleep apnea is covered in a general way under the Highway Traffic Act, along with any other condition that can make you lose awareness, such as epilepsy and I think heart conditions. I had provided a link on the other thread to the MOT site that refers to it. (If I can find the link I'll repost it.) I'm the one who was reported by my doctor and I got a letter from MOT. My license wasn't pulled or anything, the letter states that it's ok for me to keep driving as long as I'm compliant. My apnea is pretty severe, so maybe that's why I was reported. I have CSA and my AHI was 128.

Edited - I went back and found the other thread that includes the MOT link. It's not the HTA, but refers to it:
viewtopic.php?p=156272&highlight=#156272

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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): AHI, CSA

sharon1965 · Post by **sharon1965** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 7:26 am

thanks bella!

that is great info

maybe i wasn't reported, since i never received anything...then again, i received my diagnosis in late dec....if the MOT is as backed up as the passport office, maybe i'll get a letter next december! lol

wow, your apnea is pretty severe...so lucky you were diagnosed, huh?

thanks again for the reply

sharon

sharon1965 · Post by **sharon1965** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 7:37 am

bella

OMG, my memory really is shot...and also, my memory is shot

i just looked back at that thread and i participated in it for goodness sake!

i think i'd better print the info, this time, for the sake of my sadly absent mind

thanks again

frapilu · Post by **frapilu** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 11:28 am

The form says "is suffering from a medical condition that may make it dangerous for the person to operate a motor vehicle". My interpretation of that is that so long as we are compliant in our use of cpap, it is not dangerous for us to operate a motor vehicle. So I would assume that the doctor would not need to report us. But of course, different people have different interpretations so who knows.

I'm 99% sure that my doctor hasn't reported me because I know her enough to know that she would tell me. I could be wrong but I'm pretty sure. I remember one time I was seeing her and she was a bit upset. She told me that she had advised the patient before me, an older man, that she was pulling his driver's license and he had been very upset. She was upset too knowing that this was removing some of his autonomy. Since she had chosen to tell him, if she was to report me, I'm sure she would tell me too.

France

Bella · Post by **Bella** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 12:59 pm

Yeah, I think that it's the doctor's discretion (or at least that's the way they work it). And I would think that if you were reported you would know fairly quickly. I don't remember how long it took to get my letter, but I'd say no more than two months after I saw him. Which was of course, 3 months after my tests.

My understanding, in the most technical sense is that under the law we have to be reported, and then MOT decides if we're compliant and oks us

I have epilepsy too, which is controlled, and that doctor never reported me!

dudley_doright · Post by **dudley_doright** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 2:28 pm

I am in Oakville and diagnosed with mild apnea. My GP reported me to the Ministry of Vehicle. I have not received a letter yet, but I talked to the sleep doctor a while back and he told me not to worry.
I am compliant and my AHI is 3.1 this morning! YIPEEEE

frapilu · Post by **frapilu** » Fri Apr 27, 2007 2:29 pm

Bella said: I have epilepsy too, which is controlled, and that doctor never reported me!

go figure Who knows what goes through their heads

France

Nodoze · Post by **Nodoze** » Sat Apr 28, 2007 5:09 am

My doctor said that he was obliged to inform the Ministry of Transport. He had no choice. He also said that as I am fully compliant, and under control, I would probably never hear from them. That being said, my office mate also suffers from OSA and he has been on CPAP for just over a year. He received a letter saying that he had to take another sleep study to verify that his OSA was under control, and if he didn't take it, MOT would pull his licence. He went for the study, but the room was so noisy he left in the middle of the night. He thought that he was going to be in big trouble now, but instead the doctor called him in for an interview, and asked him if he was still using the machine. My buddy said that he was, and the doctor signed him off.
It's too bad that the threat of loosing one's driver's licence has prevented at least two people that I know from getting help from what I consider definite cases of OSA.
BTW I live in Cornwall, Ontario

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